1. Field
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a video reproducing apparatus such as a digital video disk (DVD) player and more particularly, to a graphics processing method and graphics processor for generating a graphic object such as figures, characters, and other images in the video reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, spreading of the DVD is remarkable and high density DVDs in which content images are recorded in high density have appeared. When a video disk is loaded on the video reproducing apparatus, a graphic object to be displayed as a title or chapter selection menu is generated along with reproduction of a content recorded in the video disk. For example, the image data for the menu is prepared mainly in an image format such as PNG, JPEG, CVI, CDW, MNG and it is decoded in an order specified by content design and then drawn as a graphic object on a graphics plane in the image memory. The graphic object in this graphics plane is output to a display such that it is superimposed on a reproduced image of the content recorded in the video disk.
As shown in for example, FIG. 13, a conventional video reproducing apparatus includes a presentation engine which requests for decoding of image data items and drawing thereof and a graphics manager which processes the decode request and the drawing request. The graphics manager includes a decode request registration module, decode module, decode result storage module, drawing module and the like. In the decode request registration module, decode requests for image data items are registered in a queue. The decode module decodes the image data item of each decode request registered in the queue of the decode request registration module and stores a decode result in one of memory locations provided in the decode result storage module. The drawing module extracts a decode result from the decode result storage module according to a drawing request performed for each image data item and draws an image on the graphics plane. Here, the image data items are decoded in the order of the decode requests registered in the queue (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 7-244572).
Although a content designer can set up a display timing of the graphic object, this setting sometimes requests a hardware of the image reproducing apparatus for a high operating speed, so that sometimes the graphic object cannot be displayed at a timing as designed. Further, there is a case in which a necessity of displaying a selection menu occurs upon an operation of a function button provided on the video reproducing apparatus. In this case, if it takes time from the operation of the function button to a display of the selection menu, user embraces a feeling of discomfort to response of the video reproducing apparatus. According to Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 7-244572, identification information of drawing data, that is, decode requests for image data items are registered separately in the priority drawing queue list and non-priority drawing queue list, and the drawing data of the identification information registered in the priority drawing queue list is decoded on a priority basis.
However, although Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 7-244572 accelerates a decode start of the drawing data to be drawn on a priority basis, it is difficult to optimize the priority level of the non-priority drawing queue list with respect to the priority drawing queue list easily. Further, time from a decode start to an end of drawing cannot be shortened effectively.